HMI for collaborative vehicle

Product Design

HMI

Delivery robot

A collaborative HMI

Robot size and interaction must be appropriate to public perception and pedestrian traffic, meet social acceptance and confidence in public space. To meet these requirements, we designed a multimodal interface.

This project was done in collaboration with the Singapore and Babenhausen design teams.

Cooperation with other bots and human

We propose technologies and functions that facilitate communication and user comprehension, to support seamless interactions. Regarding context, robot must behave as an introvert or extravert and interact with people nearby.

What did we do ?

Scope & Project brief

Analysis

We benchmarked competition, evaluated market expectations and identified usage context.

Product

We explored 3 design solutions for robot crossing & mobility and user access to loadings.

HMI

We designed a multimodal (visual and audio) interface to establish user trust and safety.

Testing

We evaluated robot interface with two scenarios (street crossing and goods delivery).

In the coming years, autonomous vehicles will populate our urban environment. Trust and acceptance are key factors to enable the harmonious development of new services. Seamless cooperation between intelligent automated delivery robots and pedestrians is necessary to ensure safe and efficient use in public spaces.

Challenges

Define a collaborative HMI for a delivery robot to enhance human-machine cooperation and test and evaluate interactions in VR (virtual reality).

Goals

Analysis

The journey of a delivery robot

This scenario defines the different milestones and the three types of encounters that the robot usually goes through.

Product Design Concepts

Concept 1

Six wheels chassis for crossing optimization for floor projections on each sides, symmetrical design (product and interface)

Concept 2

360° communication, neutral body styling, handles on the top to attract user attention and robust chassis. This concept was selected.

Concept 3

Closest design to existing Continental robot, agility, user oriented front and transparent cover.

HMI

Multimodal Interactions

Enabling seamless use of different interaction modes, context dependent, for optimized comprehension and usability.

Sound AVAS 0km/h

Speech, “Please, Pass by”

Expressive light + Mast idle + Mirror effect

Eyes Calm

Body language lean forward

Ground projection of direction that idles

Example of combined interactions

Asking a pedestrian to move away as it is blocking the robot’s path

Testing in VR

Simulated context and actions

Evaluate each interface to identify the best combination

The procedure

Each individual will start with an interview to evaluate user expectations towards delivery robots.

Then, testers will proceed to three runs of tests; low, mid and high, which corresponds to different levels of interaction on behalf of the delivery robot. After each run, testers will be asked to assess their experience.

At the end, a final interview resumes their overall observations.

The goal

The goal was to find out whether it is easy to get familiar with the product, and if the user feels in control with interactions, and so, users like or dislike the product?

How were the levels of interaction defined ?

Low feedback

No visual interactions

Very restricted communication

skills

Mid feedback

Safety interactions

Several HMI features:

LED band, ground projection, sound effects, antenna light signal

Does not speak

High feedback

Humanoid interactions

Several HMI features:

LED band, ground projection, sound effects, antenna light signal

Can speak

Humanoid facial expressions & body language

Locations

Two testing locations were set, Babenhausen and Singapore to understand whether culture might have an impact on results.

Participants

33 participants took part to prototype tests. Their age ranged between 20 and 48 years old.

Example of a user going through the ‘High’ experience

What did we learn from this ?

Results from user testing

SAFE

FRIENDLY

NAVIGATING

FAST

AGILE

SMALL

EFFICIENT

Characteristics of an ideal delivery robot

An important question that was part of the first interview ‘Which typical characteristics should a delivery robot have?’ reveals that safety was the most important aspect to prospective users.

Robot “High feedback” fulfills users’ expectations of safety and communication

User feedbacks about selected / preferred features:

Most of the HMI features are desired by the testers, whereas speech and earcons perform a little less.

Expressive lights

More information should be displayed on top of the robot

Sounds interactions

Too frequent

“Please let me through” is a difficult message

Instructions while driving are disturbing in crowded streets

Anthropomorphic light display

Changing eyes are scary